Tuesday, February 23, 2010

two more agave observations

I’ve previously shared a couple fake agaves I’ve ran across. First a pair I spied on the ANLD tour last summer and then the damaged ones I discovered at Pier One. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked when I see them anymore; there obviously is a market for fake succulents. In fact when Megan of Nestmaker recently posted about a fake succulent garden I actually confessed to liking it. And I wasn’t lying.I guess what really surprised me about the one I saw last weekend at Z Gallerie was the price, $179.95, why would anyone pay that for a fake plant? Yes I know it will live forever and the people who buy these things probably aren’t really gardeners but geez! This one even had the stubs from the imaginary removed leaves around the base (that’s fake soil, a solid mass of something)And the pressed patterns that the unfolding leaves make on each other. Of course they also have plastic injection mold holes too (no I don’t know that is what they really are called, I am just guessing).

…moving on….

I got into my car this morning and realized yesterday when I claimed I would never cut agaves leaves to put in a vase I forgot about this one. Now granted the leaves aren’t cut, this little agave pup is planted (with actual soil) in the bud vase of my VW Beetle (yes it’s true, the new Bugs do come with a bud vase).

The beauty of this arrangement is in the summertime when cut flowers would wilt from the sun and heat this little agave will be loving life! But I did have to bring him into the house on our really cold nights this winter. I suppose it’s the true sign of an agave fanatic when you even have one planted in your car huh?

15 comments:

The fake agave is alright.. haha.. like putting up the most expensive painting on the wall of a serene tropical landscape. It is a gesture of treasuring beauty in your own hand and it stays there forever... But nothing beats the real plants!! ~bangchik

Nice plant for your Blumenvasen. I saw fake agaves just like that pictured in a mall in Trinidad-what a hoot esp the "cut off leaves". I guess they wanted an agave look without the danger of sticking the patrons.

I thought of you when I saw that fake agave out at Z Gallerie. An agave planted in your car - that is some serious plant dedication you have. I'm picturing a day in the future when the agave has grown and has pups of its own, a variation on clowns in a Bug, but in this case, a Bug full of agaves

The agave in the car vase is just so you !And a bit of trivia, the name of the injection hole is usually called an orifice.For two years I designed high frequency injection molds and machinery for the foot ware industry ( Converse, Bass, Frye, ....) and the name of the injection hole was orifice followed by the diameter in thousands of inches .125 = 1/8 of an inch. If you can't find an injection hole than the process might have been vulcanized ( filling the mold with PVC before under heat and pressure) Probably more than you wanted to know.;-)

I might be tempted to buy a fake agave, having lost a boat load this winter, but never one cut like this. I am noticing a number of agaves like this around our neighborhood. I just don't like them when the lower leaves are cut. However, I wish that was all that was wrong with mine. The centers are toast. As to the agave in a vase- I'm jealous, i wish I had one in my car.